Clamp for drapery



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. D. MURPHY. CLAMP FOB. DRAPERY.

No. 453,845. Pa tented June 9, 1891.

1522 .9722077 lou a'Safl 2627 23 4 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. D. MURPHY.

CLAMP FOR DRAPERY.

No. 453,845. Patented June 9,1891.

Ihurrnn STATES ATENT OFFICE.

LOUISA D. MURPHY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLAMP FOR DRAPERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,845, dated June 9,1891.

Application filed July 12, 1889- Serial No. 317,310. (No model.)

To LtZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUISA D. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Clamps for Drapery, of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple effieient clamp forsecuring drapery to mantels; and the invention consists in the featuresand combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mantelwith the drapery applied, the clamps being covered and concealed by thedrapery; Fig. 2, aperspective view of the clamp; Fig. 3, across-sectional view of a part of the shelf, clamp, and drapery, andFigs. 4 to 8 perspective views showing modifications in the clamp.

A is the mantel; B, the drapery; (J, the clamp; c, the upper sides ofthe clamp; c, the lower sides thereof, and c springs formed in theclamp.

The essential feature of my invention consists in providing a suitableclamp for securing and holding drapery to mantels, as required inartistic drapery. The clamp is preferably made of tinned wire in oneofthe forms shown; but it may be made of any other suitable material andin any other form capable of properly securing and holding the drapery.

In applying myinvention I put the drapery through the clamp between thesides 0 and c, and then draw it up through the loop between the sides 0.Iv then apply the clamp to the mantel by passing its sides 0 above andits sides 0 below the same, after which to fasten the drapery at theinner end of the loop and conceal the clamp from view I slightly raisethe upper part of the clamp, the loop orinner end ofthe sides 0, anddraw the drapery in under it, so that it may be held between it and themantel.

To give greater elasticity to the clamp, I prefer to coil the wire atthe point 0 and sometimes at other points, so as to form a spring orsprings; but this is not in all cases necessary; but whether the clampbe thus provided with a spring or not its elasticity should besufficient to clasp the mantel and securely fasten and hold the draperyin place.

The sides 0 and c are straight in the sense that they have no bends,kinks, or loops in position to hold them away from the mantel, and it isin this sense that I use the word straight. This construction enablessuch sides to come in contact with and press against the top and bottomof the mantel throughout their entire length, and prevents their turningor twisting or easily getting out of position. I also prefer to make theclamp so that its upper and lower sides are farther apart at the pointwhere the upper sides take their downward bend to form the end portion,which comes in frontof the mantel, and nearer together at their innerendsthe loop end of the upper sides and the inner extremity of the lowersidesthan at any other point. This bringing of the sides closer togetherat their ends than at other points causes them, when in use, to clamp orpress tightly against the top and bottom of the mantel, and of coursethis serves to securely hold the clamp and drapery in place. Thusconstructed, the clamp may have sufficient elasticity without thesprings; but Iprefer to'use the two-this construction and thesprings-together.

In Figs. 4: and 5 I have shown a modification of the clamp, in which thesides c cross each other, the vertical wires in Fig. 5 being also givenan additional twist or coil above the point In Fig. 6 the wires are alsoshown as coiled or twisted at two points. In Fig. 7 the coils are shownat the upper corners inst-cad of at the point 0 and in Fig. 8 anenlarged elliptical spring is shown additional to the smaller coils.

It will of course be understood that my invention may be used for otherpurposes as well as for mautel-drapery-as, for instance, in securingcurtains, pillow-shams, &c. In all such cases, however, I prefer to haveit used in such a way that the wire will be concealed from view by thedrapery. The clamp having two upper and two lower sides to fit and pressagainst the mantel at different points, it cannot easily twist around orget askew or out of place. In this respect it has a decided advantageover a clamp having only one pair of sides.

I claim- 1. A manteldrapery clamp made from a single piece of wire bentinto substantially a U shape, forming two straight members which areadapted to fit and press on the 10p of a mantel, extended portionsforming two substantially vertical arms to come in front of the mantel,and two inwardly-bent arms substantially straight and parallel with theU- shaped portion, adapted to fit under the mantel and press against itsbottom, substantially as described.

2. A mantel-drapery clamp made from a single piece of wire bent intosubstantially a U sllapefiormingtwo straight members which are adaptedto fit and press on the top of a mantel, extended portions containingone or more coils and forming two substantially vertical arms to come infront of the mantel, and two inwardly-bent arms substantially straightand parallel with the U -shaped portion,adap t ed to fit under themantel and press against its bottom, substantially as described.

LOUISA D. MURPHY. \Vitnesses:

EPHRAIM BANNING, MARIE L. PRICE.

